NCAA Men’s Tournament

Gonzaga seeks another step up

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few answers a question during a news conference at the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Houston. Gonzaga plays Duke in a regional final on Sunday, March 29, 2015.
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few answers a question during a news conference at the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Houston. Gonzaga plays Duke in a regional final on Sunday, March 29, 2015.

HOUSTON -- Gonzaga and Coach Mark Few have been a constant presence in the NCAA Tournament, even if the Bulldogs rarely get this deep into March Madness.

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AP

Men's Division 1 Basketball Championship bracket.

The Bulldogs were a No. 1 seed only two years ago when they got upset in the second round, and who can forget floppy-haired big-scoring Adam Morrison nearly a decade ago -- yep, back in 2006, when the trendy pick blew an early 17-point lead in a Sweet 16 loss to UCLA.

Now they are a victory away from their first Final Four, with omnipresent Duke and Coach Mike Krzyzewski's top-seeded Blue Devils (32-4) up today in the South Region final.

"Probably the highest compliment I could pay him is literally everything we've tried to do at Gonzaga, we always ask, 'What did Duke do here?' " Few said.

Duke is in its 20th regional final, the 14th under Krzyzewski for the most by any active coach.

This is the 17th consecutive NCAA trip for the Bulldogs (35-2), but their first regional final since 1999 -- back when they were still considered a Cinderella story. That improbable advance as a No. 10 seed started their NCAA run, when Few was still an assistant before becoming the head coach the next year.

"This moment is big for this team. They're hungry to get to a Final Four and to keep playing," said Few

"We wanted to be a team that got [to the Elite Eight] as well, just make a statement that we're one of the top programs in the country," senior guard Kevin Pangos said. "It's a great feeling to be here, but we're not satisfied. We really want to make that next step."

When they step on the court at NRG Stadium, the tough-shooting venue that is the home of the NFL's Houston Texans, it will be only the third-ever meeting between the schools. Duke won regular-season games in December 2006 and December 2009, both played at Madison Square Garden.

When asked why Duke and Gonzaga haven't played more often, Krzyzewski initially answered with one word: Distance. The schools are 2,500 miles apart, on opposite sides of the country.

"To get out there, for them to come, very, very difficult," he said. Plus, the Blue Devils play a top-flight schedule already every season.

Few said his philosophy is to "schedule as hard as possible" and that he enjoys playing those kinds of games.

"They've got a lot of people that want to -- if you interviewed every coach in Division I, they would probably want Duke on the schedule," Few said. "We kind of have to deal with that on a smaller deal regionally and somewhat nationally with guys always wanting to schedule us. I'm sure we'll do something again."

"Growing up ... I can remember Adam Morrison being a big-time player, him always being compared to J.J. Redick, I remember that year, they had a heartbreaking loss to UCLA," said Quinn Cook, the Duke senior guard surrounded in the starting lineup by three standout freshmen. "This team this year, they're outstanding, experienced, they have a lot to prove. They're very confident, they feel they're a championship-level team. ... We'll have our hands full."

The freshmen trio of Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones have gotten Duke within a victory of its 16th Final Four. Duke's four freshmen have accounted for nearly half the minutes played, 56 percent of the scoring, 52 percent of the rebounding and 62 percent of the assists.

Gonzaga's starting five includes three seniors with more than 130 college games each, and two juniors. There are five freshmen on the roster, only two who have played since mid-February. They account for only 17 percent of the minutes played and points.

The Bulldogs have set a school record for victories. Their only losses were in overtime in December at Arizona, another Elite Eight team, and by three points to BYU long after they had wrapped up another West Coast Conference title.

"Gonzaga's not just a great team, but a great program. Mark's built a great, great program there," Krzyzewski said, adding that Kentucky's pursuit of an undefeated season has overshadowed what teams like the Bulldogs have accomplished this season.

"They would be tough to beat because of their talent, but they're tougher to beat because they've won so much together," he said. "We've had a sensational year, but we're still an evolving team, we're still trying to get better because of all the young guys."

Sports on 03/29/2015

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